We've got to be smart.
We're all frustrated and angry over Monday's firings. I've been friends with Marla for over a decade, and she was absolutely done dirty. Basically, in real world terms, we can't do a darn thing about what happened except gripe about it. Lord knows that I have vented loudly both here and on Facebook.
Here's the problem, though. We've got to be smart. We have to understand what is happening, and that how we respond to it has long term consequences for the program. We need to be supportive of UAB and the athletic programs in public. If we have gripes and conspiracy theories and want to rant and blow off steam, we need to do it privately among ourselves. We need to present a face to the outside world that says that we're committed, that we intend to overcome, that we're in it with our team for the long haul regardless of any obstacle thrown up in front of us.
Bill Clark has worked very hard to get the program to where it is. His recruiting is starting to pay off. We're signing three and four star players who had offers from or were playing for P5 programs. We're becoming more of a threat in recruiting and on the field, and that means that the gloves come off and we get treated the way that other P5 programs do.
If we start raving about the BoT, PBJ, and conspiracy theories, schools recruiting against us are going to take screenshots and use them against us. "See? Their own fans don't think that the program will be left alone to grow. They're going to get shut down again. Alabama won't let them grow. Why would you go there when you know what happened before is going to happen again?" Quotes from our fans are going to wind up in the email box of guys we are recruiting. If you don't think that Southern Miss will use our own words and doubts against us, you are not living in the real world.
We know that sand is being put in the gears. We know that Coach Clark has to keep fighting the same old battles over and over, and that they hope that the day comes when he gets tired of it, throws up his hands, and takes a job where he does not have to struggle everyday for the sort of things that other coaches have given to them freely. He'll stay here, he wants to stay here... but if he gets sick enough of the nonsense, there are other schools who would be happy to hire him away. We have to support the programs, even if we are angry. What we can't afford to do is to make things more difficult for him and the staff.
We proved something when #TheReturn happened. If we raise the money and get things done, they can't stop us. Oh, they can make things difficult, but if enough of us get behind and push we can get it done. We did it before and there is nothing stopping us from doing it again.
Think about where we are today. Many of the three year pledges from 2014 are starting to expire. Basketball attendance has been down. We all strained and gave as much as we could and donor fatigue has set in. We got football back, and things went well last year, and we kind of relaxed. I would bet that in a general sense, donations are down. We're at the end of June, the start of a new fiscal year, and they're looking at budgets and counting the money. I'd be willing to bet that season ticket sales are down both for football and basketball. There is legitimate money pressure. C-USA can not pay member schools nearly as much as it used to. We are committed for tens of millions for the BJCC Stadium. There are new facilities for both NCAA and intramural athletics being built all over campus, and the money to pay for them has to come from somewhere. Athletics *needs* our support.
When something like this happens, the first instinct is to say, "Well, if they're going to act that way, I'm not going to give them another dime". That reaction is understandable, but it is also counterproductive. UAB does not have the numbers of people and businesses supporting athletics that UA or AU do. We don't have the luxury of thinking that way. All we do is make it easier for our programs to be damaged if we falter in our giving and support.
I'm not advocating "Thank you sir, may I have another", or being passive. Write and call and express your displeasure. We know how to make people who displease us uncomfortable and how to hold them responsible. That said, we need to keep our eye on the ball. We all want things to get better. We have momentum on our side. Ground will be broken on the stadium soon. We've come a long way and accomplished much.
I'm asking that you take the long view. Don't air our dirty laundry in public. Don't make it easier for our enemies. We're back to needing to give till it hurts again. That's not an easy thing to ask of people who have given a lot and are hurt, frustrated, and angry... but ultimately, it's the winning strategy. Buy season tickets. Buy a couple of extra tickets and bring friends or family to a game. Do everything you can do to fight back. Most of us don't have any way to do things that mean much to fight back against those who would see UAB fail, but this we *can* do. Even if it is only a little bit extra, if enough people do it, it starts to add up. Our actions and commitment matter.
Blazers are "Ever Faithful, Ever Loyal". Stand up and be counted, again, because that is our best path to getting our programs where we want to be.
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We've got to be smart.
